Digital signal processing applied to radar sensors operated in active defense systems

The active defense (AD) is deemed a very promising way how to protect military vehicles, especially in contemporary fight against terrorism in the Third world countries. Cheap and easily accessible hand-held cumulative missiles (e.g. RPG-7) are able to penetrate up to 300 mm of the hard-hardness armour (HHA). Thus light transport military vehicles equipped typically with less than 10 mm thick armours, used frequently e.g. in Afganistan are very vulnerable. The AD systems are based on radar sensors that detect approaching missiles and activate a suitable counter-measure able to destroy the threatening missile. The article describes the microwave curtain, which is one of the radar sensors applicable in AD systems, and signal-processing methods used for generation of ignition signals from its output signals. Practical results obtained at army shooting range are also presented.